Russataia, a fantasy kingdom

Dustin walked into the arena and looked for Xilas, which wasn't hard, since he just had to see the scythe jutting up from the the front of the crowds. he plopped down on the seat, if you could call the stone slabs the working class were provided "seats", and took a moment to look around behind him. The arena seemed packed to the brim with people, all excited about watching the games. He turned back to Xilas and grinned.

"You ready to kill some giant ugly cows?" he asked, mentally preparing himself for he fight. Xilas dropped his scythe and caught it effortlessly a split second later, making sure the blade didn't cut anyone as he returned the grin.

"In my mind, they're already dead. All that remains is to step onto the arena floor and claim victory." Dustin laughed and turned his attention to the arena floor, where a bard stood tuning his lyre. Something about the bard struck Dustin as odd, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it. Dustin shrugged, figuring he probably just owed him money. The bard then began playing, and Dustin's emotions almost felt like they were the strings the bard was plucking. His memories flashed into his mind and various emotions hit him in waves, almost overwhelming him. Dustin did not like this one bit; he'd never heard of anything like this, an instrument able to play people, but the more he tried to focus on the bard, he harder it was to hold onto his thoughts. They just slipped from his mind and were lost in the tide of his emotions, some seeming forced into his mind, but his sorrow and anger seemed to swallow them back up. There was no one who seemed immune to the song, at least among those Dustin could see, and then, as quickly as it started, it ended, and the bard was gone. Dustin shot Xilas a look, and he too seemed very confused as to what had just happened.

"I don't know what that was just now, but I'd rather it didn't happen again" Dustin said calmly, attempting humor but failing, his mind still caught up in the song. Xilas just nodded in agreement. They were both brought out of their stupor when Genox's voice boomed across the arena, across all of Arcadium, as he commanded they step forward for battle. Dustin grinned, as he summoned the hate in his heart to replace the song's effect with a fighting mentality. The anticipation seemed to perk Xilas back up as well. they both stood and hopped into the arena, as the crowds cheered in a frenzy of blood lust and excitement. Dustin unsheathed a sword and raised it into the air and yelled as loud as he could, almost matching the volume of the crowd. His adrenaline was pumping so hard he could rip the head off of a minotaur and beat the other two to death with his bare-hands.

Xilas remained calm and collected, watching the gate the minotaurs would be coming out of, and remembered the plans he and Dustin had made for this very moment. He tensed in anticipation as the gate began to move, and the minotaurs slowly and maliciously emerged from the dark depths of hell itself. The crowd grew silent as the creatures roared and snarled, showing their dominance. Dustin looked one in the eyes and roared back at it. The crowds cheering resumed midway through the roar and it almost drowned him out as he nearly tore his voice box out. The creature Dustin had directed the challenge towards beat his chest with his free hand and roared back, letting all know this insolence meant war. Xilas merely shook his head in amusement at Dustin's antics. He had said he was going to put on a show for the crowd, but he didn't think the "show" would mean this much yelling. Dustin smirked, pleased with how antagonized the deformed bulls were. Dustin looked at Xilas and gave him a nod, then seemingly disappeared as he ran off into the shadows of the arena's edge.

The minotaurs were then left with one target, and were very upset at this point. Xilas readied his scythe as the minotaurs charged, being rather quick for being eight feet tall, but Xilas could still outmaneuver them. He dodged one axe blade after another, only getting nicked on the arm or the side occasionally. One Minotaur then raised his axe high above his head as the other two continued their flurry, ready to end this enraging challenge to their authority. A sword then found it's way through the minotaurs skull, and was then jerked upward, completely splitting the skull open from the inside out.

"I think this takes care of that pesky numbers advantage you had on us" Dustin said through gritted teeth as blood splattered on both he and Xilas. seeing the minotaur's rather violent death gave one of them pause, not in seeing his comrade die, but seeing the opportunity to become the dominant one of the two. It charged at Dustin with full speed, knocking Dustin back with his fist before he had time to dodge. Dustin jumped back up to his feet, narrowly avoiding the axe meant for his torso. he hopped back a few times to avoid more swings of the axe, until he felt his foot start to sink he looked down out of the corner of his eye and saw his foot was trapped in the sand, which was slowly sucking him downward.

He blocked the minotaur's axe with his sword as he shouted towards Xilas "XILAS! WATCH YOUR FOOTING! THE ARENA'S GOT SINKHOLES!"

Xilas heard Dustin's shout and kept his peripheral vision aimed towards the sand near his feet as the minotaur charged him. Xilas merely stepped to the side at the last moment and jabbed the beast in the back with the handle of his scythe, toying a bit with the creature. He spotted a patch of odd looking sand and smiled, hopping back to where the minotaur would have to step trough the weird sand to charge him again, which it did. as the beast struggled to free it's foot, Xilas quietly made his way behind the beast, placed the blade at the creature's throat, and jerked the blade back towards him, beheading the minotaur.

Dustin pushed the axe of the remaining minotaur back and quickly used his magic energy to leap from the sand, drawing his other sword upon landing.

"I'm about tired of this" Dustin said as he used his energy to run behind the minotaur, becoming a black blur. the minotaur began looking around, unable to follow Dustin's movement, as Dustin's sword sliced through the minotaur's back to its spinal chord, which Dustin then stabbed and severed with his other sword. The minotaur fell to the ground, unable to move. Dustin walked over toward the beasts head, summoned more energy then he needed into his fist, and punched the minotaur in the head, crushing it's skull and killing it and again, splattering blood all over himself. Dustin stood back up, and looked at Xilas as he smiled.

"I might have gotten carried away" was all Dustin had time to say with his hoarse and raspy voice before the crowd erupted into a frenzy of cheers and screams. Dustin and Xilas both walked to the center of the arena and raised their hands in victory as the crowds cheered and chanted their names, although most of the crowd was just excited about the bloodshed and could care less who caused it. Dustin and Xilas both made their way back to their seats and sat, Dustin being eager to see the competition, and Xilas being very eager for Dustin to take a bath, as his skin color went from tan to red, and the smell of minotaur blood not being very pleasant to the nose, but at least they made it to the next round...for now.

One of the guards whispered in his ear and Genox nodded the guard retreated back to the bard and lead him and to a seat right beside Genox. "Impressive display master bard" Genox directed at Endy before watching the match. Unlike the king Genox showed very little emotion during the fight. Whenever Egan witnessed the games he would always be on the edge of his seat cheering and yelling. Genox instead watched the battle in silence watching every move of the combatants.

After Dustin and Xilas attained their victory Genox stood up once more and raised his hand causing the crowd to again go completely silent. "Lairn Darkwater! Sebastion Langston prepare for battle!" Genoxs voice amplified and boomed across the stadium.

The gates for both gladiators opened and Sebastion stepped out of the gate smirking. Clearly happy about the advantage the tower field would give him being an skilled marksmen. He looked around to the crowd and raised his arm to a premature arrogant victory as his wavy black hair flowed behind him.

Bowing slightly, Endy took the honored seat. "My humble thanks your highness."

He watched the fight, noting the contestants names and faces. He would contact ALL the winners over the next few weeks. Maybe they maybe some use in Artos's plans.

Meanwhile he pretended to enjoy the festivities, knowing that his actions and demeanor here in the royal box were under careful scutiny, no matter how unemotional Genox looked.

Genox leaned over to Endy slightly out of earshot of the others. "You have an interesting gift master bard" He paused for a moment letting it sink in that he knew of the bards magical property's infused with his music. "I must question however, your intentions" The blue glow behind his helmet heightened even brighter. "A king could use someone with a power such as yours, I can offer you fair pay, free housing, and most importantly safe asylum. In return you will use your ..gift..to help me in ways I deem fit."

Genox paused once more letting his attention fall back to the arena. "Ponder it" Genox said calmly.

After gazing about the throne room for a few minutes, thinking of how gloomy it looked being so charred, Doris turned her attention to the coliseum from where the cheering of the spectators came. "Oh...now there's something I don't want to miss," said Doris in an evilly pleased tone of voice as she walked through the hallways of the castle, before making it to the royal box.

The view is so much better here, She thought as she looked out at the empty field, the crowd hushed as music began to fill the coliseum. It moved her like nothing else, and she found her thoughts drifting from one thing to another, as it brought up memories, some pleasant and some not so. She found herself in a daze as the music ended, she shook her head to clear it as cheering came again.

"That is powerful magic," She mumbled, slightly in awe.

Watching the first match progress, she smiled at the show as the two combatants battled the minotaurs. While there were no screams of pain, she had to admit it was rather entertaining. She hoped the next matches would be even more entertaining.

I really should have come more often, Doris thought to herself. How long has it been, several years I'm sure.